Adjustable harp for electric light lamp shades



A ril 22, 1952 J. SMURIK 2,593,704

ADJUSTABLE HARP FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT LAMP SHADES Filed'Sept. 30, 1949 Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,593,704 AnjUs'rABLE HARP FOR ELECTRiC LIGHT LAMP SHADES I Joseph Smurik, New York, N Y. Application September 30, 1949, Serial No. 118,930

2 Claims. (01. 240-148) This invention relates to supports or harps for the shades of electric light lamps and more particularly to supports or harps for the shades of electric light lamps of the floor or table type.

In copending application Serial No. 59,943,- filed November 13, 1948, entitled A Plastic Support for Electric Light Lamp Shades there was described a support or harp molded in one piece from plastic material. Subsequently it was found desirable to make the harp adjustable while still retaining the advantages of the plastic material.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a harp that will support the shade as desired above the electric light bulb and irrespective of the size thereof.

Other objects of the instant invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of these objectives, the adjustable harp is constituted of a lower and upper section formed from any plastic material having suitable resiliency and low electrical conductivity. Each section is cast as a complete unit in one operation. The lower section at the base is fitted around the electric light socket and then flares upwardly and outwardly therearound to terminate in two spaced parallel portions or arms on either side of the bulb. The arms are hollow formed and may have a cross section in the shape of a hollow square, the outside wall or rim of which is slit along two spaced longitudinal lines and a third line adjacent the top so that a portion of each arm can be moved outwardly under inwardly directed tension in the manner of a tongue. At the top of each of the partially severed portions or tongues is an outwardly directed finger grip and on the inner sur-- face a plurality of inwardly directed spaced protuberances. Slidab1e in the ends of the hollow arms are the downwardly extended members or arms of the upper section, the outside surface portions of which are notched or slotted at spaced intervals so that by placing the fingers of one hand in the finger grips, the upper section can be raised or lowered by the other hand within the limits of the protuberances and slots. At the top, the downwardly extended arms are integrally or otherwise formed with a support platform for the light shade which is releasably held in place by any appropriate ornamentation, provision being made for the attachment of the ornamentation in two positions.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing 2 showing by way of example only a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings: I Y

Figure 1 is a top view of the harp constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of, the harp shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Figure 1, but on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view along the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line 55 of Figure 2.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts reference numeral [0 indicates the support or harp, II the electric light socket, and [2 the electric light bulb.

The harp I0 is made in two sections, a lower section I3 and an upper section M from any suitable plastic material havin reasonable resiliency and low electrical conductivity.

The lower section [3 is cast in one piece and has at the bottom a suitable collar l5 which is friction fitted around the top of the socket II as shown in Figure 2 or attached in any other known manner. From the collar I5, the sides or arms l6 and Ilia of the lower section l3 flare outwardly and upwardly to provide sufiicient space to accommodate the socket and thence upwardly in spaced parallel arrangement as shownin Figures 2 and 3. The cross section of the integrally formed spaced parallel portions may be in the form of a hollow rectangle (Fig. 5) or otherwise but in any event having longitudinal openings extending from the top downwardly. The outside surface portions or walls or rims of the longitudinal openings are slit along the lines I8, I 9, and 20 (Fig. 4) or even from the top downwardly so that the partially cut out segments or tongues 2| and Zia are hinged about the uncut bottom under the inherent tendency of the material to return to the normal position. At the top of the tongues 2| and 21a and directed outwardly are the finger pieces 22 and 22a, respectively. Integrally or otherwise formed on the tongues 22 and 22a but directed inwardly are the protuberances 23 and 23a which coact with the upper section M in a manner described infra.

The upper section i4 is constituted of the spaced parallel members or downwardly directed arms 24 and 24a which have a suitable cross section for slidable insertion in the longitudinal openings of the corresponding members of the previously described lower section. Spaced open notches 26 and 26a are formed in the outside surfaces of the spaced parallel members 24 and 24a, and are of sufficient magnitude for the releasable insertion of the previously mentioned protuberances 23 and 23a of the tongues 22 and 22a when the slots are moved into coacting position therewith. The downwardly directed arms 24 and 24a at the top are turned inwardly as illustrated to provide a support or platform forthestud 26 over which the top of the wire frame of the shade (not shown) is inserted in the usual manner. It will be noted in Figures 2 and 3, however, that the stud 26 is continued downwardly through the platform with a space or recess 28 formed therearound in the support so that in shipping the ornamentation 21 which has a base 29 fitting into the complementary recess 28 may be removably attached in the inverted position as shown by the dot-dash ornamentation in Figure 2. The stud is externally-threaded and the base of the ornamentation has a threaded opening in which the stud is threaded in either of the two positions.

The operation with the harp i is as follows:

Assuming that the harp ID has been attached to the socket II and the bulb l2 inserted in a known manner as shown in Figure 2, with the fingers of one hand in the finger grips 22 and 22a, the protuberances 23 and 23a are moved out of corresponding notches 26 and 26a whereupon the upper section M of the harp H] can be moved longitudinally until the top is at the desired height above the bulb 12. Then, by releasing the finger grips 22 and 22a, the protuberances 23 can be made to reengage another set of corresponding notches 26 and 2611 on the spaced parallel members 24 and 24a, respectively.

Of course, it is possible to form the harp with but slightly more than one-half the structure illustrated. For example, by removing one side of the illustrated harp between the collars I and the stud 26. By molding the harp from resilient plastic material of low electrical conductivity, the number of parts normally required in the manufacture of harps has been reduced, the cost of production greatly decreased, and a means for insulating the wire frame from the lamp attained. By making the harp adjustable, a means for positioning the shade relative to the bulb has been attained.

It is apparent that the specific illustrations shown above have been given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation and that the structures above described are subject to wide variation and modification without departing from the scope or intent of the invention, all of which variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A harp support for the shade of an electric light lamp in combination with the lamp socket, the harp comprising a lower section of resilient material having a central socket engaging portion, at least one arm upwardly directed from the socket engaging portion, the arm having formed therein a longitudinal opening extending from the top downwardly, the rim of the opening being longitudinally slit along two spaced lines and a third line adjacent the top inter-connected with the two spaced lines to form a hinged tongue over a part of the opening, the tongue having formed thereon at least one inwardly directed protuberance and an outwardly directed finger piece; the harp further comprising an upper section coacting with the lower section, the upper section having a platform at the top and at least one arm disposed on the platform and downwardly directed therefrom, the downwardly directed arm being slidably inserted in the longitudinal opening in the upwardly directed arm of the lower section and having formed therein at least one notch coacting with the protuberance on the tongue.

2. A harp for the removable attachment in two positions of the ornamentation for an electric light lamp shade, the ornamentation having a base and the base having formed therein an internally threaded opening; the harp comprising a platform for the support of the base of theornamentation, means for securing the platform in a substantially horizontal plane above the lamp, the platform having formed therein on the side of the lamp a recess coacting with the base of the ornamentation, an externally threaded stud coacting with the internally threaded opening in the base of the ornamentation disposed on the platform, one end of the stud being upwardly directed above the platform and the opposite end being extended downwardly through the recess substantially at the center thereof.

JOSEPH SMURIK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Number Name Date 1,339,333 Hein May 4, 1920 1,849,966 'Ureles Mar. 15, 1932 1,946,959 Auerbach Feb. 13, 1934 2,408,522 Leef Oct. 1, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,865 Great Britain Feb. 19, 1903 296,882 Great Britain Sept. 13, 1928 

